07-09-2012, 02:57 AM
Shlama Akhi Ivan,
In the East (as in the West) the process of dividing scriptural books into chapters and verses was very late. In fact, there is quite a bit of difference in the numbering between the eastern and western versions of the New Testament.
Before very recently in fact, we had no such system in the east. The scriptures were used solely in a liturgical setting, where specific readings (as set forth in the "Hudra", or "cycle") were assigned to specific days of the week and specific liturgical days/seasons. These assigned "readings" were the only form of division we had in the scriptures.
You will notice that the older patristic writings (Aphrahat, Ephrem, Narsai, Isaac of Nineveh, etc.) do not quote chapter and verse, like modern patristics.
That was obviously the case in older Judaism as well.
+Shamasha
In the East (as in the West) the process of dividing scriptural books into chapters and verses was very late. In fact, there is quite a bit of difference in the numbering between the eastern and western versions of the New Testament.
Before very recently in fact, we had no such system in the east. The scriptures were used solely in a liturgical setting, where specific readings (as set forth in the "Hudra", or "cycle") were assigned to specific days of the week and specific liturgical days/seasons. These assigned "readings" were the only form of division we had in the scriptures.
You will notice that the older patristic writings (Aphrahat, Ephrem, Narsai, Isaac of Nineveh, etc.) do not quote chapter and verse, like modern patristics.
That was obviously the case in older Judaism as well.
+Shamasha